ABSTRACT
On 1 January 2005, 15.7 per cent of all members of parliament and 14.3 per cent of ministers worldwide were women according to data collected by the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU). These figures represent an improvement, but the situation remains unsatisfactory. However, at the October 2004 IPU Assembly, women accounted for 29 per cent of delegates — twice the world average for parliaments and the result of affirmative action measures.
